


the kindness of strangers

by minachandler



Series: you're everything to me and you always have been [21]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Earth-52, F/M, Killjoys AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 05:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14129124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minachandler/pseuds/minachandler
Summary: On earth-52, Barry Allen is just a thief trying to steal a ship. When he's confronted by its owner, he realises she could do with some help. Killjoys AU.





	the kindness of strangers

**Author's Note:**

> I got this prompt and this is what I've got already, but I'm not sure if there'll be more. I'm hoping this will make sense without having to watch Killjoys, but if it helps, it's only three seasons, ten episodes per season, so if you wanted to watch after reading this, you totally could. To be clear, certain lines are lifted directly from the show, and there's also a reference to Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire in this too. Enjoy!

“Man, why do you have such shitty music, ship?” Barry says, taking a quick swig from his bottle of beer as he fiddles with the controls.

“I would offer my apologies, thief, but as it appears you are attempting to steal the Waverider -”

“Yeah, yeah, stealing’s bad, whatever. So you're gonna reverse patchflow on my command, you got it?”

“No,” answers the disembodied voice with its weird British accent.

Barry takes another sip of his drink. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“Would you like me to translate that to Klingon?”

“I didn't know computers spoke sass. I might try to fix that once I manage to get past your admin code, but to be honest I kinda like a bit of attitude. Keeps me on my toes.”

“Hopefully this will too, then,” a soft but dangerous voice says from behind him as she clicks the safety off her weapon.

“Ship?”

“Yes, thief?”

“You're not gonna help me get out of this, are you?”

“No, thief.”

“Turn around,” says the woman still behind him. “Slowly. Hands in the air.”

Barry does as he's asked and his eyes widen when he vaguely recognises the woman standing before him with a gun aimed straight for him. He's seen her in the myriad of celebrations that have taken place on the streets of Central Kingdom, the centre of attention and without a doubt the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on.

Even now, when half of her silhouette is hidden in darkness and her eyes are filled with fire and a feral kind of anger glinting in her irises - Barry can't take his eyes off her. And he wouldn't even if he could.

“Hi,” he says after a second, trying for a smile. “Barry Allen, lover of ships.”

“Iris West, killer of men,” she shoots back.

“You're funny,” Barry says, “for a queen.” She takes a shaky step forward, the hand holding the gun wavering a fraction. “Half this kingdom’s been throwing you a party for the last five days, so yeah, I know who you are. You're Queen Iris, wife of King Edward -”

“You don't get to talk about Eddie,” Iris cuts across him, and her hand is shaking even more now. Barry looks closer, and now she's stepped into the ship’s light he can see the tear tracks down her cheeks and that her fingers are stained red.

“You're hurt,” Barry says softly.

(He wonders for a second if it would be worth getting shot if he can help this woman in some way.)

“It's not my blood,” Iris says, meeting his eyes properly for the first time and unexpectedly softening for a moment before she brandishes the gun at Barry once more. “And it's none of your business!”

“Hey, you do the math, your highness.”

“Don't call me that,” she snaps.

“My apologies, Queen Iris -”

“Don’t call me that either,” Iris says, but then some of the anger seems to leave her when she huffs a sigh and says in a quieter voice, “Iris. My name is Iris. Just Iris.”

Barry immediately feels bad as he starts to put two and two together. “Okay, ‘just Iris’,” he says in an easy tone. “You do the math. You’re royalty - I’m just a thief passing through. So whatever you’ve done -”

“I didn’t do anything,” Iris interrupts.

“And I believe you,” Barry replies instantly.

“You - wait, what? You believe me?” Her expression changes, beautiful eyes widening beneath thick lashes.

And at this Barry chances a chuckle. “Does that really surprise you? Look, I’ve been around enough bad people knowing you’re not one. Not by a long shot.”

“I wish that were true,” Iris says, and it seems she’s saying it more to herself than to him. Her gun hand is wavering, now, but she still points it at him. It’s aimed right at his heart.

“Whatever’s happened,” Barry continues, “let me help you.”

“Why would you help me?”

He shrugs. “It’s kind of my thing. I usually just steal from the rich. Doesn’t really hurt anyone - not really.”

“This ship was a wedding gift,” Iris says faintly. “Are you sure you know how to fly it?”

“Your highness, I can fly anything,” Barry replies proudly, but when she glowers at him he just shrugs apologetically. And then he takes another step towards her, tentative, and he says, “Look, whatever trouble you are in… we don’t have to stay here. _You_ don’t have to stay here.”

“Why would you help _me_?” Iris repeats. “I’m nobody to you. A stranger.”

“You know something funny?” he says. “I’ve… always depended on the kindness of strangers. I want to help. To be honest I don’t even know entirely why. But I know this - if you want to stay and fight whoever you need to fight, I’ve got your back. If you want to drop all this and run...”

“I call shotgun,” Iris says with the ghost of a smile in her eyes for the first time.

“We don’t have to stay here,” he says again softly. “We can just fly away and never look back.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, before you go, please consider leaving a comment! I would absolutely love to know what you think of this one. Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
